10 years later
by Beckintime
Summary: Hermione can't undo the memory spell she cast over her parents. Who will be there to help her through the loss?


**A/N Written for the third bonus round of The Houses Competition**

 **House: Ravenclaw**

 **Theme: Flashbacks  
Prompts: Obliviate, Date(20/04) **

**Word Count: 1824**

20th April 2007

10 years later.

10 years since she had raised her wand on the ones that had raised her.

She had visited every year of course; it was easy enough with her position at the Ministry of Magic to get a portkey to Australia and be back before dinner.

She had never been able to remove the Obliviate charm she cast on her parents 19 years ago. The ministry informed her it would be easier to let them go than take them to St Mungo's for treatment. Let them lead their lives on the getting bronzed in the sun-kissed sands of Australian beaches than be drenched up by the past of wizarding wars and a lost daughter. So she had to accept it - limit her exposure to them and watch from afar once a year.

That year had been a busy year, the days blurring into weeks, working through seemingly bottomless piles of paperwork that piled up on her desk. She hadn't had the time to arrange to get to Australia, and, before she knew it, it was April 20th.

She sat down as heavily as her heart sank when she realised the date. Head in hands she sighed deeply and reminisced on the past.

1997

The first year was the worst. The first couple of months, during the war, she hadn't had much thought to her parents; she knew they were safe. After the war however, it was a different story. She went to them at first, she tried removing the charm herself but to no effect. The ministry got involved at the end. They told her to stop before she caused further harm and was arrested under the Muggle Protection Act. Her friends were outraged; they praised her as a war hero yet wouldn't help her when she needed it. The ministry's take on the matter was as firm as an unbreakable vow. And so she resigned herself to limited access to them.

The Weasleys helped her. Having lost a member of the family themselves in the war, they bonded together and pretended to ignore the empty chairs at Christmas that everyone's eyes glanced over to, and their smiles falter at least once.

 _We all had losses,_ she told herself. At least her parents were still alive.

She got closest to the youngest Weasley the most at times like this. The others fussed over George after losing his twin, overlooking the fact that Ginny had lost her brother, too. Fred was secretly her favourite, sneaking her chocolate frogs and planning pranks to play on George.

Yes. It was times like Christmas when the family would congregate and she would be forgotten almost as if she was as absent as Fred.

Not by Hermione though. That year, the two talked about their lost ones till late at only light casting shadow on the warm wooden beams of the Burrow only illuminating each others faces and the blanket they shared.

20th April 1999

That was her first visit to her parents in Australia since unsuccessfully removing the charm. The evening was cool and her breath formed a pale cloud in front of her face, matching her ashen complexion. She shivered but not from the cold and pulled her coat and the invisibility cloak she borrowed tighter around her.

The two adults in the misted window watched their television laughing. Adults she bore so many similarities to. They smiled at the lit box in front of them, while tears gathered in her eyes and mouth twitch into a smile as the sun waned on the horizon. They were happy.

20th April 2001

It was once again the time of year for Hermione to stand awkwardly outside the window of her parents and watch through as if it was reflective glass or a tv screen. She knew that they could at any point turn their eyes and meet hers through the invisibility cloak and she hoped they would but she didn't really mind, just seeing them was enough.

She was accompanied this time by Ginny who was now a professional quidditch player preferring the adrenaline rush to academics. To be fair, it suited the fiery personality of the youngest weasley better than any job at the ministry would Hermione mused to herself. It was the curiosity of the young seeker that was the reason they were both standing there at the window instead of just hermione.

" _Your mum looks different to how I imagined her?" Ginny said as if she was solving a puzzle within her head._

" _How so?"_ Hermione asked quietly so her parents didn't hear.

" _I imagined you got your eyes from her for some reason?"_

Hermione blushed slightly, though she couldn't think why. It was just a statement.

" _No, I got them from my dad. Why were you wondering where I got my eyes from?"_

Ginny didn't seem phased as she replied " _they're a deep warm chestnut, they remind me of the burrow and I guess a little of home."_

" _You have brown eyes yourself though_ " Hermione replied " _mine aren't that special."_

" _Yeah if only you were ginger, you could be a Weasley!"_

" _And have to deal with your lot all the time? No thanks."_

They both laughed quietly,the huddled closer together for warmth. As the laughter faded into a comfortable silence, Hermione remarked this may have been the first time since the charm she had seen her parents and left smiling, as the orange glow of the fading sun set on the dunes behind the two girls.

20th April 2003

She had gone every year with Ginny since then, the two making sure to get the time off training and work for it. They walked up the now familiar road, getting to the familiar white painted,slightly chipped window sill of the Australian bungalow owned by the two Granger dentists. However, the interior was different.

While the essence of the room was identical to the previous years it was clear the duo living there had become a trio.

Baby toys littered the floor, family photos hung not two people in them but three a little girl with big brown eyes and messy hair. Upon the wall hung a photo of baby footprints with "Charlotte, 20/12/01" on it and sure enough between the 2 adults on the sofa was the little girl from the photos."

Hermione turned, eyes already burning, a feeling of upset, guilt and slight betrayal within her. She knew this was stupid. They didn't know she existed! But she still felt rejected.

She marched up the dunes, the wind picking up sand and stinging at her face, she could hear the calls of Ginny behind her but carried on walking, getting as far away from the house, her parents and Charlotte as possible. She felt two hands grab her behind stopping her in her tracks and didn't resist but just turned into the girl behind her and buried her face in her shoulder. The younger girl through clearly caught off guard by the hug responded quickly and remained silent but pulled her in close as she sobbed.

After a while, the tears slowed and Hermione turned to face the younger Weasley.

" _You know, if they knew about you they may still have had her. She isn't your replacement, she is a sister."_

" _Even if they did get their memories back now somehow though, they have a new daughter would they even care about me?_ " she knew she was being unreasonable as soon as the words came out of her mouth but didn't take them back.

" _Hey now, I am the youngest of seven and if I still get attention from my parents I know you would too."_

" _If they remembered me."_

" _You know the ministry is doing all they can and now you're working there I bet they're working even harder on it, one day they'll remember you."_

" _I can't believe you."_ Hermione admitted " _but I'd like to try."_ She smiled slightly, sniffed and wiped her eyes, looking up at the now visible stars.

" _Besides who could really forget about you?"_

Hermione raised her eyebrow at the smaller girl " _you'd be surprised?"_

" _Oh really? When we were at Hogwarts, I don't know anyone who wasn't aware and at least slightly jealous of you and your brains, your friends, your wit and when you went to the yule ball with Krum, hell, I think most people wanted to either kiss you or kill you out of jealousy."_

" _You would have killed me? But then how would your mum have gotten blood out of the dress you wore?"_

Ginny turned a deep shade of red then and stuttered awkwardly " _Actually...I wouldn't have killed you."_

It took Hermione a painfully long moment to register what she was implying and all that came out was a soft " _oh."_ Neither girl said anything else but turned and looked up at the stars as their hands intertwined by their sides.

20th April 2007

It was those hands that now rubbed her shoulders reassuringly as she took her head out of her hands.

" _It was today, wasn't it?_ " The women now in front of her asked.

Hermione only shook her head in a nod. " _It's okay. They'll be other days we can go."_ The redhead tried to smile reassuringly feeling her girlfriends pain at forgetting.

" _It won't be the same."_ A pause. " _I'm sorry it was a long time ago I am being stupid."_ Hermione sighed.

" _No you're not, these are your parents, you care for them like you care for me, or harry or Ron or any other one of your friends, they're important to you, it's not that easy to move on, you know that."_

" _You're right but I shouldn't act as if they're dead."_

" _Our emotions make us act in ways we usually wouldn't want...but it's okay, it's what makes us human."_ Ginny got up and kissed her girlfriend on the forehead.

" _Now, I'm going to make us some tea and dinner and I'll give you control of the remote for tonight? How about that?"_

Hermione smiled slightly at the sweet gesture and nodded. Eyes brightening at the thought.

It was then the doorbell rang.

Ginny called from the kitchen " _Can you get it love?"_

Hermione got up and shouted a quick reply before jogging down the hall towards the front door where 2 silhouettes stood.

She opened the door.

Outside on the porch stood her parents, now slightly older but with the same smile lines and features since that day 10 years ago.

" _Hello honey._ " Her mother beams, trying to hold back the tears as both hermione and her dad are holding back their own.

" _Mum, dad._ " She calls and envelops them. Ginny comes to the door wondering what is holding her girlfriend up and smiles at the sight as the golden glow of the sun starts to fade once more from the sky.


End file.
